Who Were The Best Authors?

And why should we care? Because these Masters show every good writer just what can be done - and show all good readers what should be read.

Reading Like a Writer: A Guide for People Who Love Books and for Those Who Want to Write Them (P.S.)

Price: $7.89

Don't miss them, but if you have a personal list, then please sent it to us using the comments box below and if we think they are worthy of inclusion, we will list them.

But for now - here is our list of Best Authors...

* Best of the Best Books by Author

James Joyce A to Z: The Essential Reference to His Life and Writings (Literary a to Z's)

Price: $7.98

James Joyce-- Don’t be intimidated. Dig right in to Ulysses or Finnegan’s Wake. Or, if your prefer to start “simpler”, start with The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.

Critical Companion to Toni Morrison: A Literary Reference to Her Life And Work (Critical Companion to)

Price: $74.99

Toni Morrison – Read everything, especially being sure to cover The Bluest Eye, Sula, Tar Baby, and Song of Solomon.

The Art of Nonfiction: A Guide for Writers and Readers

Price: $7.00

Ayn Rand – Also a more intellectual writer, Rand still offers unparalleled philosophical fiction (unparalleled in her century, that is…save by Camus and Sartre, of course).

Ernest Hemingway: Rediscovered

Price: $12.50

Ernest (Papa) Hemingway—If you like the minimalist, realist style, read everything, especially The Sun Also Rises and A Moveable Feast, as well as the early stories collected in in our time. If you prefer Hemingway’s more popular themes of war, for example, read A Farewell to Arms, for starters.

James Baldwin : Collected Essays : Notes of a Native Son / Nobody Knows My Name / The Fire Next Time / No Name in the Street / The Devil Finds Work / Other Essays (Library of America)

Price: $19.58

James Baldwin—Read everything. Twice.

Retrofitting Blade Runner: Issues in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner and Phillip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Price: $17.66

Phillip K. Dick – Read everything. Three times.

Virginia Woolf A to Z: A Comprehensive Reference for Students, Teachers, and Common Readers to Her Life, Work, and Critical Reception (Literary a to Z's)

Price: $16.98

Virginia Woolf – Woolf’s writing is primarily stream-of-consciousness, and speaks to a time and a mindset (writerly, at that), so definitely check out Mrs. Dalloway or To the Lighthouse.

The World According to Garp

Price: $4.06

John Irving—A most accessible and engaging writer, Irving brings us such poignant works as Hotel New Hampshire and the World According to Garp and such provocative novels as A Prayer for Owen Meany.

John Updike
Rabbit Angstrom : The Four Novels : Rabbit, Run, Rabbit Redux, Rabbit Is Rich, Rabbit at Rest (Everyman's Library)

Price: $18.42

For a contemporary but full writing style, Updike will delight you with his brilliance and accessibility to his brilliance. Read about the ex-basketball star, following him through the decades of his life in the Rabbit quatrology, or get steamy with Couples, or touch upon mysticism in The Centaur.

So, hopefully, this is enough to keep you reading into your graying years or further. And hopefully, too, you will find at least a few titles for your own best of the best list to pass on to your students, friends, or loved ones. Happy reading!